I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2799 

To implement recommendations related to the safety of amphibious passenger 

vessels, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 16, 2019 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To implement recommendations related to the safety of 

amphibious passenger vessels, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Duck Boat Safety 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR AMPHIBIOUS PASSENGER 

7 VESSELS TO REMAIN AFLOAT AND UPRIGHT 

8 IN THE EVENT OF FLOODING. 

9 (a) RESERVE BUOYANCY FOR AMPHIBIOUS PAS10 SENGER VESSELS THROUGH PASSIVE MEANS.— 


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1 (1) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later than 

2 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

3 the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall prescribe 

4 in regulations requirements that operators of am5 phibious passenger vessels provide reserve buoyancy 

6 for such vessels through passive means, including 

7 watertight compartmentalization, built-in flotation, 

8 or such other means as the Commandant shall speci9 fy in the regulations, in order to ensure that such 

10 vessels remain afloat and upright in the event of 

11 flooding, including when carrying a full complement 

12 of passengers and crew. 

13 (2) DEADLINE FOR COMPLIANCE.—The regula14 tions required by paragraph (1) shall require compli15 ance with the requirements in the regulations by op16 erators of amphibious passenger vessels by such 

17 date, not later than 24 months after the date of the 

18 enactment of this Act, as the Commandant shall 

19 specify in the regulations. 

20 (b) INTERIM REQUIREMENTS.—Commencing as of 

21 the date the regulations required by subsection (a) are 

22 prescribed, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall re23 quire that operators of amphibious passenger vessels that 

24 are not in compliance with the requirements in the regula25 tions do the following: 


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1 (1) Remove the canopies of such vessels for wa2 terborne operations, or install in such vehicles a can3 opy that does not restrict either horizontal or 

4 vertical escape by passengers in the event of flooding 

5 or sinking. 

6 (2) If the canopy is removed from any such ves7 sel pursuant to paragraph (1), require that all pas8 sengers don a Coast Guard type-approved personal 

9 flotation device before the onset of waterborne oper10 ations of such vessel. 

11 (3) Reengineer such vessels to permanently 

12 close all unnecessary access plugs and to reduce all 

13 through-hull penetrations to the minimum number 

14 and size necessary for operation. 

15 (4) Install in such vessels independently pow16 ered electric bilge pumps that are capable of dewa17 tering such vessels at the volume of the largest re18 maining penetration in order to supplement either 

19 an operable Higgins pump or a dewatering pump of 

20 equivalent or greater capacity. 

21 (5) Install in such vessels not fewer than four 

22 independently powered bilge alarms. 

23 (6) Inspect any such vessel in water after each 

24 time a through-hull penetration of such vessel has 

25 been removed or uncovered. 


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1 (7) Verify the watertight integrity of any such 

2 vessel in the water at the outset of each waterborne 

3 departure of such vessel. 

4 (8) Otherwise comply with any other provisions 

5 of Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 1–01 

6 in the inspection, configuration, and operation of 

7 such vessels. 

8 (c) PROHIBITION ON OPERATION OF NONCOMPLIANT

9 VESSELS.—The following amphibious passenger vessels 

10 may not operate on United States waterways: 

11 (1) Commencing as of the date the regulations 

12 required by subsection (a) are prescribed, any am13 phibious passenger vessel whose configuration or op14 eration does not comply with the requirements in 

15 subsection (b). 

16 (2) Commencing as of the date specified by the 

17 Commandant of the Coast Guard pursuant to sub18 section (a)(2), any amphibious passenger vessel 

19 whose configuration or operation does not comply 

20 with the requirements in the regulations under sub21 section (a)(1). 

Æ 


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